There’s a lot happening across Aotearoa’s vocational education and training sector this past month. In these last few weeks, we’ve seen stories that remind us why work-based learning matters: not just as an economic lever, but as a transformative pathway for people.
A new system, a real opportunity
We are, of course, operating in a sector that is mid-transition. From 1 January 2026, Industry Skills Boards replaced Workforce Development Councils, and ten regional polytechnics now operate as independent institutions. Apprentices and trainees continue to be enrolled and supported through this transition, with the goal of maintaining continuity for learners throughout. The Government has also announced their plans for secondary curriculum reform, which will include vocational led subjects being integrated directly into the curriculum. For the VET sector, this is significant: it signals that the school-to-work transition is being treated as a design imperative, not an afterthought.
Even New Zealand’s immigration settings are now beginning to recognise the strategic value of trades skills, with a new Trades and Technician residence pathway announced for skilled workers in relevant occupations, a signal that the country understands it needs to both grow and retain people with hands-on expertise.
https://www.crownworldmobility.com/insights/immigration-weekly-update-march-12-2026-2/
Women in trades: the momentum is real
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Bunnings Trade Women in Apprenticeships Awards, recognising female apprentices working across New Zealand’s trades sector. Six apprentices will be selected to receive a support package valued at more than $11,000, designed to help them build their toolkits, training, and practical experience.
Among the previous recipients is TRT fabrication welder Sasha Devia, who is approaching the completion of her four-year apprenticeship. “The award has been huge for me,” she says. “I’ve been able to invest in tools I use every day at work, build confidence working on projects at home.”
Women in Trades NZ also held a “Getting Women into Trades” event in Rotorua in March This event is now in its eighth year, and connects women who are curious about trades careers with employers, training providers, and experienced tradeswomen who are already on the tools.
https://events.humanitix.com/getting-women-in-trades-rotorua
BCITO has been showcasing leaders in their sector
This month, BCITO reconnected with Steve Leitch of Biggins Interiors, whose specialist interior construction skills are helping bring Te Whare Whakarauika/Wellington Town Hall back to life. It’s a fantastic story of a skilled tradesperson applying decades of craft to restore one of New Zealand’s most beloved public buildings.
Last week, BCITO also published a profile on Bruce Delaney, who has 50 year’s experience in the joinery trade, from apprentice to long-serving Wintec Joinery Tutor. He has helped shape more than four decades of apprentices through an ever-evolving trade. That’s what a strong vocational education system can anchor. It doesn’t just train workers; it creates mentors and craftspeople who keep knowledge alive.
At the beginning of this month, BCITO’s 2026 Apprentice Leaders cohort spent four days at Outward Bound in Anakiwa, returning with more confidence, better self-awareness, and a shared commitment to lead with influence. This is a great example of what happens when we invest in the whole person, not just the qualification. The trades need leaders, not just workers and programmes like this are building that pipeline.
The Apprentice Leader role gives motivated apprentices the opportunity to build leadership skills through activities like Outward Bound and participation in industry events. For employers, it means apprentices in their businesses gain new skills and knowledge that add real value and help grow new leaders in the workplace.
What this tells us
The stories from these past few weeks are not isolated. They reflect a sector that despite system change, despite workforce pressures, despite economic headwinds continues to back its people.
An apprentice becoming a leader. A tutor passing on five decades of craft. Young women picking up tools for the first time and not looking back. A heritage building being restored by someone who learned their trade the hard way, one day at a time.
This is what work-based learning looks like when it works.
GAN New Zealand exists to connect these stories across employers, across sectors, across borders and to make sure New Zealand’s voice is part of the global conversation about what apprenticeships and work-based learning can achieve.
If your organisation is working on something in this space, we’d love to hear from you.
#Apprenticeships #VocationalEducation #WomenInTrades #WorkBasedLearning #GANNewZealand #SkillsGroup #TradesNZ #YouthEmployment #NewZealand
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